Attachment_1-Webcast_and_WiFi_Services-FINAL.pdf

ATTACHMENT 1

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

B.1 SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide webcast and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) services to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Webcast services shall provide public access to live and archived webcasts of public hearings, Board Meetings, and other NTSB events. Wi-Fi services shall be provided to the NTSB press room during these webcast events. The period of performance of this requirement is for one (1) base year and up to four (4) option years.

The Government contemplates award of (one) 1 Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contract with individually funded task orders using firm-fixed price (FFP) rates resulting from this solicitation. The Contractor shall furnish all necessary labor, supplies, and equipment to provide the services as set forth in Section C, Statement of Work (SOW).

B.2 MINIMUM/MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

(a) The minimum amount of supplies and services that shall be ordered during the effective period of this contract is for ten (10) days. The maximum amount of supplies and services that may be ordered during the effective period of this contract is for 200 days.

(b) The minimum amount is reached when the quantity all ordered supplies or services equals or exceeds the minimum amount stated in paragraph (a).

(c) The maximum amount is reached when the quantity of all ordered supplies and services equals the maximum amount stated in paragraph (a).

B.3 ESTIMATED LEVELS OF EFFORT FOR BASE AND OPTION YEARS

As stated in the SOW, the NTSB estimates that webcast and Wi-Fi services shall be needed approximately 35 days annually. Contractors shall complete the pricing tables below. The estimated levels of effort below represent the typical quantities, lengths, and live concurrent users for NTSB webcast events and Wi-Fi services for the press room.

The estimated levels of effort provided below are for evaluation purposes and are estimates only.

• It is estimated that there are approximately 350 webcast events per year. Of those 35 events, it is estimated that one (1) event will be up to four (4) hours in length with up to 100 live concurrent users. Nine (9) events will be up to four (4) hours with up to 500 live concurrent users. Nineteen (19) events will be up to eight (8) hours with up to 500 live concurrent users. One (1) event will be up to eight (8) hours with up to 5,000 live concurrent users.

• It is estimated that Wi-Fi services shall be required for 30 days per year, 8 hours per day, for as many as (20) computers at any one time.

For evaluation purposes only, Contractors shall provide FFP rates for each estimated webcast level of effort; FFP for monthly archiving; and FFP for monthly Wi-Fi service for the base year and each of the 4 option years.

The actual webcast, archiving, and Wi-Fi services ordered under the IDIQ contract shall be determined upon the actual number of webcast events and concurrent users as determined in the subsequent task orders issued thereunder. Wi-Fi services shall be ordered on a yearly basis in a separate Contract Line Item Number (CLIN).

In addition to completing the tables below, Contractors shall submit price quotes providing additional pricing information, as set forth in Section L, Quote Instructions, under Price.

In addition to completing the tables below, the Contractor shall provide the following firm-fixed prices to provide webcast and Wi-Fi services as set forth in the SOW:

1. Wi-Fi installation price

2. Registration Pricing for the base year and option years 1 – 4

3. Animation/Short Video Hosting for the base year and option years 1 – 4

A. BASE YEAR EVALUATED PRICES

EVALUATED BASE YEAR PRICE - WEBCAST SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

Estimated

Level of Effort Quantity Unit of Issue

Number of Live Concurrent Users FFP Rate Total Price

Up to 4 hours 1 Day Up to 100 $____________

Up to 4 hours 14 Days Up to 500 $____________

Up to 8 hours 19 Days Up to 500 $____________

Up to 8 hours 1 Day Up to 5,000 $____________

Total Base Year Price

35 Days $_____________

EVALUATED BASE YEAR PRICE - MONTHLY ARCHIVE PRICING AS SET

FORTH IN SOW

Quantity Unit of Issue Monthly Rate Total Price

Months

EVALUATED BASE YEAR PRICE - WI-FI SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

ESTIMATED LEVEL OF EFFORT

Quantity

Unit of Issue Monthly Rate Total Price

12 Months $______________

B. OPTION YEAR 1 EVALUATED PRICES

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 1 PRICE - WEBCAST SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

Level of Effort Quantity Unit of Issue

Number of Live

Total Option Year 1 Price

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 1 PRICE - MONTHLY ARCHIVE PRICING AS

SET FORTH IN SOW

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 1 PRICE - WI-FI SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

C. OPTION YEAR 2 EVALUATED PRICES

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 2 PRICE - WEBCAST SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

Level of Effort Quantity Unit of Issue

Number of Live Concurrent Users FPP Rate Total Price

Year 2 Price

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 2 PRICE - MONTHLY ARCHIVE PRICING AS

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 2 PRICE - WI-FI SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

D. OPTION YEAR 3 EVALUATED PRICES

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 3 PRICE - WEBCAST SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

Level of Effort Quantity Unit of Issue

Number of Live

Year 3 Price

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 3 PRICE - MONTHLY ARCHIVE PRICING AS

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 3 PRICE - WI-FI SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

E. OPTION YEAR 4 EVALUATED PRICES

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 4 PRICE - WEBCAST SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

Level of Effort Quantity Unit of Issue

Number of Live

Year 4 Price

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 4 PRICE - MONTHLY ARCHIVE PRICING AS

EVALUATED OPTION YEAR 4 PRICE - WI-FI SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

F. TOTAL EVALUATED CONTRACT PRICE

TOTAL EVALUATED CONTRACT PRICE -

WEBCAST AND WI-FI SERVICES AS SET FORTH IN SOW

Description

Total Price

Total Evaluated Base Year Price

Total Evaluated Option Year 1 Price

Total Evaluated Option Year 2 Price

Total Evaluated Option Year 3 Price

Total Evaluated Option Year 4 Price

Evaluated Total Contract Price (Base Year + Option Years 1-4)

[END OF SECTION]

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 BACKGROUND

The NTSB is an independent federal agency responsible for determining the probable cause of transportation accidents and for promoting transportation safety. As part of its investigation into accidents, the NTSB holds public hearings to record evidence presented by persons involved in the accidents and by parties to the investigation. Information about public hearings is available on the NTSB website: https://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/Previous_Events.aspx

The NTSB also holds public Board Meetings to discuss and adopt major accident reports, special investigation reports, safety studies, and other related Board initiatives. Information about meetings is available at: https://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/Previous_Events.aspx

The NTSB also holds public forums and symposia to discuss and advance interest in certain safety issues. Information about these events is available on the NTSB website:

https://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/Previous_Events.aspx

C.2 SCOPE OF WORK

The NTSB has a requirement to (1) webcast public hearings, Board Meetings, and other NTSB events to the public; (2) archive webcasts; and (3) provide Wi-Fi services in the NTSB press room during these events. The number of Board meetings, public hearings, forums, and symposia will vary. The NTSB estimates that webcast and Wi-Fi services shall be needed approximately 35 days annually in accordance with Section 508 requirements.

C.2.1 WEBCAST SERVICES

The number of live concurrent users for webcast services shall vary depending on the subject matter under discussion and is expected to range from as few as 100 for some Board Meetings to as many as 5,000 for a high-interest public hearing. Most task orders previously awarded under the current IDIQ type contract covered up to 500 live concurrent users. The NTSB anticipates awarding an IDIQ type contract with individually funded task orders using FFP rates for the specified levels of effort listed in Section B. It is estimated that there are approximately 35 webcast events per year. The NTSB anticipates issuing one task order each year to cover all anticipated webcast and Wi-Fi costs per year. Review Section G.1, Task Order Procedures for additional information.

The NTSB will provide an agenda of the webcast event, broken down by day and topic, a pre-mixed audio/video source from the NTSB Conference Center located at L’Enfant Plaza, Washington, D.C. or, when appropriate, the NTSB Training Center located in Ashburn, Virginia, and a link from the NTSB website to the Contractor’s website or collocation service that will be active during the event and for the duration of the archive period.

C.2.1.1 LIVE WEBCAST AND ONLINE ARCHIVE SERVICES

The Contractor shall produce and distribute a live webcast of NTSB events and maintain an online archive of events for the period specified in individual task orders issued under the contract. Archival periods are expected to range from 3-https://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/Previous_Events.aspx

6 months. The online archive shall be accessed from a link on the NTSB internet website to the Contractor’s website.

The live webcast and archives shall comply with Section 508 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998; these standards may be found at https://www.section508.gov/section508-laws

The video feed provided by the NTSB will not be captioned nor does NTSB provide a live transcriber’s feed. The NTSB does not require descriptive audio programming for the blind. The Contractor shall offer open or closed captioning or some other method that is Section 508 compliant. If the proposed Section 508 compliant webcast solution is live real-time captioning, the accuracy rate must be at least 96% per the captioning certification exam rate set forth by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA).

The Contractor shall include the following capabilities in these services:

1. Transferring source audio/video signal to the Contractor’s encoder and encoding signal for streaming delivery;

2. Producing the web interface for the event and a page to be displayed on the screen before the event starts; [This page shall include the NTSB seal, the topic and agenda of the event. It is not a minimum requirement for the interface to allow for Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, Adobe PDF files, multiple languages, pre-recorded captions, or transcripts; however, this capability would be a benefit to the Government that it may utilize at a later time.]

3. Delivering event broadcast over the Internet to a minimum of 100 live concurrent users and, if requested, up to 5,000 live concurrent users;

4. Delivering an online archive of the streaming media files with an index to the topic and duration of each segment; [The archive must be available within 24 hours of the conclusion of the event. The archive must be continuously available for the duration specified in the task order. Archival periods are expected to range from 3-6 months.]

Typical events include Safety Board “Sunshine” meetings, which ordinarily are completed in a single day; and Safety Board investigative hearings, which may extend for several days. Board meetings are held approximately two (2) times a month.

Hearings, symposia, forums, and other events are held approximately one (1) time a month.

For each event, the NTSB Webmaster posts a link to the live webcast on the main page of the NTSB Internet website found at www.ntsb.gov. When the archived webcast is ready, the NTSB Webmaster posts a link to the archived webcast on the appropriate NTSB web page for the event and removes the link at the end of the archive period as stated in the applicable task order.

C.2.1.2 REGISTRATION SERVICES

On occasion, the NTSB may require users to register themselves prior to gaining access to a NTSB webcast event. Based on NTSB's requirements, the Contractor shall create and design a registration form to be approved by the https://www.section508.gov/section508-laws http://www.ntsb.gov/

NTSB and maintain the registration form used to gather information (e.g. user name and email address) from webcast participants as specified by the NTSB. Registration may be used for access to password protected material.

The Contractor shall:

1. Create the form to be used to collect the information the NTSB requires prior to providing end users with access to the webcast link.

2. Establish a link to the registration form for the end user to fill out and forward a link to registered users to access the streaming video for that event after receiving the form.

3. After the webcast, provide the NTSB with the information gathered from the end users, including their log in times, in an easy to interpret format.

C.2.2 WI-FI SERVICES

The Contractor shall install and maintain a Wi-Fi network to provide Wi-Fi services in the NTSB Conference Center press room during NTSB events. This Wi-Fi network shall be password controlled. The Contractor shall change the password upon NTSB’s request and provide training to NTSB staff on how to maintain and change the password. Priority on the router shall be given to email traffic and internet browsing. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) uploads/downloads shall be given secondary priority.

The number of computers in the press room that require Wi-Fi services during NTSB events will vary. The NTSB estimates that as many as 20 computers at any one time will require Wi-Fi services. Wi-Fi services shall be provided by the Contractor via internet connectivity installed and maintained by the Contractor. A minimum of 1GB upload /35MB download speeds are required.

C.2.3 ANIMATION/SHORT VIDEO HOSTING

On occasion, the NTSB may require the Contractor to provide hosting services of animation or other short videos (up to 5 minutes in length) presented during an NTSB event. The Contractor shall provide the FTP site for the NTSB to upload the (animation/short video) file(s) and the Contractor shall host them on their servers until the close of a news cycle (e.g. 11 p.m.) for one (1) month as directed by the NTSB.

C.3 DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall provide:

1. Webcast and Wi-Fi services in accordance with the SOW.

2. A mechanism to transfer the premixed signal from the NTSB Conference Center and/or Training Center to the encoding station. Encoding of the signal for streaming in 720p High Definition (HD), Flash Media (H.264) and mobile devices (i.e. compatible viewing on Apple IPads, IPhones, etc.).

3. Web interface showing the video display and contents, including hosting of animation of other short videos.

4. Delivery of the live streaming media to the Web on non-NTSB servers.

5. An online archive of the streaming media files with an index to the topic and duration of each segment. The archive must be available within 24 hours of the conclusion of each day of the event. The archive must be continuously available for the duration specified in the task order.

6. An archived master CD-ROM of the event, with an index to the topic and times of each video segment. Archival periods are expected to range from 3-6 months. Unless otherwise specified in the task order, the CD-ROM shall be delivered no more than five

(5) days following the event to the NTSB marked to the attention of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The irradiation process may damage items sent via the U.S. postal service. Therefore, the Contractor shall use FedEx, United Parcel Service of America (UPS), or another independent carrier to send mailed items.

7. On occasion, provide an HD copy of any webcasted event via FTP site or Flash drive to be requested within 30 days after the event date. The Flash drive shall be marked to the attention of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The irradiation process may damage items sent via the U.S. postal service. Therefore, the Contractor shall use FedEx, United Parcel Service or America (UPS), or another independent carrier to send mailed items.

8. A monthly summary of user connection activity for any hosted NTSB events (live or archived) including number of hits (total number of times a file was opened, even if re-opened by the same Internet Protocol (IP) address multiple times over a specified time period), unique viewers (total number of unique IP addresses that open a file), number of concurrent streams, by media type (Windows Media, Flash Media, Apple, mobile devices) and geographic location (country/state if available) for each day of the webcast. This monthly summary shall be delivered to the Contracting Officer (CO) and COR by the fifteenth of the month for the preceding month.

9. Registration services as set forth in Section C.2.1.2 in the SOW.

10. Animation/Short Video Hosting services as set forth in Section C.2.3 in the SOW.

11. A Management and Transition Plan to provide high quality webcast services as described in the SOW including the proposed Section 508 compliant webcast solution, and Wi-Fi services. Review Section L.3.2.b - Management and Transition Plan for additional information. The Contractor shall include a draft Management and Transition Plan with their quote and may update it up to 60 days after award.

12. Post Award Conference – The Contractor shall attend a post award conference within 7 calendar days after award. The purpose of this meeting is for NTSB to review the terms and conditions of the contract and establish a sound working relationship with the Contractor to ensure successful performance. At this conference, the NTSB will review contract requirements, deliverables, and expectations as well as task order and invoicing procedures.

C.4 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. The Contractor is required to provide its own Internet connectivity to the NTSB

Conference Center and NTSB Training Center. The Contractor shall not be permitted to connect to the NTSB network.

2. The NTSB requires a Contractor employee be present onsite at the webcast location for the duration of the webcast to monitor and operate their equipment. The Contractor shall be responsible for audio, video, network, connectivity, firewall, and routing issues of their equipment. If Contractor’s equipment malfunctions, the NTSB is not responsible for troubleshooting the Contractor’s equipment.

3. The NTSB will upload animation of other short video files for them to be made available after an event and they will stay available for one (1) month until the close of a news cycle (e.g., 11pm).

4. Two-way communications (i.e., feedback or questions from viewers) is not required for webcast services.

5. Viewer registration of a webcast event may be required on an as needed basis.

6. The Contractor is not required to migrate existing content into a new host environment.

7. Webcasts are to be made available through the typical operating system platforms used by the public.

C.6 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall be for one (1) base year and four (4) option years for a total performance period of five (5) years. The anticipated period of performance for the base year is from date of award through twelve months. If all options are exercised the expiration of this contract is 60 months from date of award.

C.7 PERFORMANCE LOCATION

Events shall be webcast from the NTSB Conference Center, located on the lower level of L’Enfant Plaza at the following address:

National Transportation Safety Board Conference Center 420 10th Street, SW

Washington, DC 20024

Or when appropriate from the NTSB Training Center located at the following address:

National Transportation Safety Board Training Center 45065 Riverside Parkway

Ashburn, VA 20147

C.8 CONFERNCE CENTER HOURS

The NTSB Conference Center is open approximately an hour to an hour and a half before an event starts. Board meetings normally start at 9:30 a.m., however, other events may start as early as 8:00 a.m.

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 TASK ORDER PROCEDURES

The contract shall cover an indefinite number of requests for live and archived webcast services and Wi-Fi services that may be needed on a regular and irregular basis. All funds expended under this contract shall be incurred and accounted for under individually funded task orders with FFP rates. The Contractor shall incur costs under this contract in the performance of task orders and task order modifications issued in accordance with this ordering procedure. No other costs are authorized without the express written consent of the CO.

The actual webcast and Wi-Fi services ordered under the IDIQ contract shall be determined upon the actual number of webcast events, concurrent users, and Wi-Fi services ordered as determined by the subsequent task orders issued under the contract.

Work under the contract shall be initiated upon Contractor receipt of an individual task order.

Task orders shall be sent to the Contractor with as much advanced notice as possible, however, webcast and Wi-Fi services may sometimes be needed on 24 hours or less notice. Task order procedures are as follows:

1. Work will be conducted by the Contractor on an as-needed basis, within the scope of the contract and at the FFP rates set forth in this contract.

2. It is anticipated that 1 task order shall be issued each year of the contract to cover all anticipated webcast events and Wi-Fi services. The NTSB reserves the right to issue multiple task orders in any given year.

3. The NTSB anticipates issuing each task order incorporating all of the webcast FFP rates for each estimated level of effort listed in Section B. The NTSB will only be billed the FFP Wi-Fi prices and the FFP for the actual level of effort required in the performance of work of each task order.

4. The exact nature and extent of the Contractor’s work under this contract will be based on a written task order issued by the CO. Each task order shall include at a minimum the following:

a. Contract number and task order number

b. Description of the work required

c. Summary of estimated NTSB event dates, topics, and event lengths

d. Period of performance

e. FFP rates for webcast services for 100 up to 5,000 concurrent users

f. FFP rates for monthly archive, registration, and video hosting services.

g. FFP rate for Wi-Fi services

h. Total Not-To-Exceed (NTE) amount of task order

i. Any other pertinent information

j. Name and contact information of the COR

k. CO signature

5. Should the Contractor determine that the task order price will exceed the NTE amount set forth in the task order, the Contractor shall notify the COR and the CO immediately.

The price shall not exceed the total NTE amount specified in each task order.

6. Once issued, a task order may be modified in the same manner with which it was issued.

7. No other costs are authorized without the express written consent of the CO.

G.2 AUTHORIZED ORDERING OFFICIALS

The authorized personnel for activating services for this requirement is:

1. NTSB Contracting Officer

SECTION L – QUOTE INSTRUCTIONS

L.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

The NTSB solicits your quote for webcast and Wi-Fi services. This Request for Quote (RFQ) will result in the award of one (1) IDIQ type contract with task orders using FFP rates for a base year with four (4) option years.

L.2 NOTICE AND INSTRUCTION TO CONTRACTORS

Contractors are required to meet all the requirements of the RFQ, including but not limited to instructions, conditions/notices, and requirements in the SOW. Quotes should address each factor(s)/sub factor(s) as described below. Responses that merely repeat the requirements in the SOW or give only assurances without detailing how the Contractor can perform the requirements may not be considered as being responsive to the requirements of this RFQ.

Quotes that fail to address the essential requirements of this RFQ or are impractical in terms of technical content, schedule commitment, or cost/price will be deemed to have an inherent lack of technical competence or indicative of a failure to comprehend the requirements, or the complexity and risks associated with the requirements. The Government may reject any quote that is so lacking in competence or in understanding the requirements that without a major reformation of the quote it is not adequate for evaluation purposes. Alternate/conditional quotes may result in a quote being rejected as non-responsive. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions. Contractors are cautioned that they must submit a best offer with the initial quote.

In responding to this RFQ, Contractors shall submit a quote in three (3) separate parts:

Technical, Past Performance, and Price. For each part the Contractor shall provide an original copy with all company identifying information. The Contractor shall also provide a sanitized copy of the technical quote with no company identifying information.

1. Part I – Technical Quote: Include all information requested under “L-3 Part I Technical Quote”. Exclude any references to price.

2. Part II – Past Performance Quote: Include all information requested under “L-4 Part II Past Performance”.

3. Part III – Price Quote: Include all information requested under “L-5 Part III Price, as well as completed solicitation Sections A, J, and K.

L.3 PART I TECHNICAL QUOTE

The Technical Quote shall include the following factor and sub-factors:

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

An Executive Summary of the Contractor’s quote is required. This summary will not be evaluated separately but will be used by evaluators to understand the overall quote contents. Therefore, the information contained in the summary is important. It should identify and highlight significant features of the quote and include the salient points contained in the various parts. Each Contractor should include a General Information section in the Executive Summary that addresses the following: 1) company name and address, 2) Company Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), Dun and Bradstreet’s number, CAGE code, and 3) quote point of contact.

2. FACTOR 1 – TECHNICAL QUOTE

This part describes the Contractor’s overall understanding of the requirements, including the soundness, appropriateness, and reasonableness of the overall technical approach to performing the required services. This portion of the quote includes the following sub-factors:

a. Sub-factor 1 – Technical Approach. A Contractor’s technical approach is the degree to which Contractor’s technical capabilities satisfy the requirements in the SOW.

Each requirement of the SOW shall be addressed separately. The Contractor shall provide a detailed description of their implementation methodology and approach to be used to meet or exceed the requirements of the SOW. The Contractor shall also identify any areas of performance risks and describe how the Contractor intends to mitigate those risks.

b. Sub-factor 2 – Management and Transition Plan. The Contractor shall submit a Management and Transition Plan to provide high quality webcast services as described in the SOW including the proposed Section 508 compliant webcast solution, and Wi-Fi services. The Plan shall demonstrate the Contractor’s management processes, understanding of the work to be performed, and project organization proposed for the work – including internal operations, lines of authority, and subcontractors. It shall include response times and plans for (1) tracking and controlling the work, (2) ensuring timeliness of performance; (3) methods for monitoring, maintaining and enhancing the quality of the work, (4) ensuring accurate and timely deliverables and (5) maintaining customer satisfaction. The Contractor shall describe its proposed transition plan that shall address Continuity of Services to include administrative and operational responsibilities, schedules, and plan to minimize operating disruptions. The Contractor shall include a Management and Transition Plan with their quote.

There is no limit on the number of pages for Part I Technical Quote. The technical quote shall be submitted in two (2) versions. One (1) version shall include company identifying characteristics (i.e., company name, branding, etc.); and one (1) sanitized version excluding any reference to the Contractor that may identify the company (i.e., company name, branding, etc.).

L.4 PART II PAST PERFORMANCE QUOTE

1. FACTOR 2 – PAST PERFORMANCE

The past performance quote shall consist of completed past performance questionnaires from no less than three (3) past references whose requirements are similar in scope to this NTSB requirement. Contractors shall ask their references provided under Evaluation Factor 2, Past Performance, to complete the Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment 3) and submit it directly to Janice R. McCoy via email at janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov or via fax: (571) 366-9651. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that Past Performance Questionnaires are completed timely and submitted by customer references, and that correct names, addresses and phone numbers are provided in the responses for each reference. A Contractor will not be penalized in the evaluation with an unfavorable rating for the failure of its past performance references to complete and submit the Past Performance Questionnaires. The Government may contact Contractors’ customer references or use other references/information available to the Government to verify past performance.

There is no limit on the number of pages for Part II Past Performance Quote.

L.5 PART III PRICE QUOTE

1. FACTOR 3 – PRICE

For evaluation purposes, Price shall be evaluated by adding together the base year and all option year prices submitted in Section B.

In addition, Contractors must submit pricing for all services to meet the requirements as stated in the SOW. Contractors must provide pricing for the base year and all option years:

1. To provide webcast services for each level of effort listed in Section B. Contractors may propose stepladder pricing based on the number of concurrent users or any other volume discounts.

2. For monthly archive services

3. For registration services

4. For Wi-Fi services

Prices shall be evaluated but not scored.

Price quotes shall be evaluated to determine the reasonableness of a Contractor’s quote. Evaluation may include analysis to determine a Contractor’s comprehension of the solicitation requirements, as well as, the validity of a Contractor’s approach. A price that is found to be unreasonably high or low in relation to the proposed work may result in the quote receiving a lower rating or a Contractor’s quote may be rejected if the pricing poses an unacceptable risk to the Government.

There is no limit on the number of pages for Part III Price.

L.6 SITE VISITS

A site visit of the NTSB Conference Center will be conducted on August 23, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.

Eastern Day Time (EDT) located at:

NTSB Conference Center 429 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594

The following link provides directions to the NTSB Conference Center:

http://www.ntsb.gov/about/conference_center.html http://www.ntsb.gov/about/conference_center.html

A site visit of the NTSB Training Center will be conducted on August 27, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.

EDT located at:

NTSB Training Center 45065 Riverside Parkway Ashburn, VA 20147

Contractors are required to R.S.V.P. to each site visit by sending an email with the name of their company and the names of their employees that will attend each site visit.

Reference “Site Visits for RFQ 9531BM18Q0047” in the subject line of your email.

Emails shall be submitted to:

Janice R. McCoy, Contract Specialist Email: janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov

Contractors are requested to meet in the lobby areas of both locations. Contractors will be required to sign in at the lobby areas of both locations. Contractors are encouraged to arrive early. Each site visit shall start promptly at the designated times. It is anticipated that each site visit shall last approximately 30 minutes. These are the only site visits the Government intends to conduct.

The purpose of the site visits is for all interested Contractors to view the electronics booth for both locations for Contractor’s to see where and how their webcast and Wi-Fi equipment connects to the NTSB infrastructure.

An NTSB representative shall conduct the site visit.

The Government may entertain questions during the site visits, however only questions submitted in writing and their subsequent answers provided in writing by the Government shall be official questions are answers of record. Only these questions and answers shall be incorporated into the RFQ. Questions regarding each site visit and quote shall be submitted to the point of contact provided in Section L.8 of the RFQ by the specified date and time.

L.7 EXPENSES RELATED TO CONTRACOTR’S SUBMISSIONS

This solicitation neither commits the Government to pay any cost incurred in the submission of the offer nor to contract for services or supplies. Any costs incurred in anticipation of a contract shall be at the Contractor’s own risk.

L.8 SUBMISSION OF QUOTES

Your quote must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., EST, on September 4, 2018. LATE QUOTES MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision 52.212-1.

mailto:janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov

Quotes may be transmitted via email to:

Janice R. McCoy Email: janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov

The maximum size of an email, including attachments, which the NTSB email server can accept is 15 megabytes (MB). Therefore, the Contractor may choose to send their quote in separate emails, if the combined file size of any email received by the NTSB email server will exceed 15MB. Contractors are encouraged to remove excess graphics from their quotes to ensure quotes remain under the file size limit. It is the Contractor's responsibility to ensure that the designated point of contact has received your quote at the email address of the contact specified above by the quote due date.

All questions regarding this RFQ shall be directed to Janice R. McCoy via email at the email address listed above. All questions must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on August 28, 2018.

L.9 ELECTRONIC DISSEMINATION OF RFQ DOCUMENTS

Access to this RFQ and amendments will be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website: www.fbo.gov. All Contractors are cautioned that it is your responsibility to frequently check back to the website to ensure that you have received all issued amendments.

mailto:janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov http://www.fbo.gov/

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 EVALUATION OF QUOTEQUOTES

The Government may award one (1) IDIQ type contract with individually funded task orders using FFP rates to the responsible Contractor whose quote that conforms to the RFQ, will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other price factors considered, such that it provides the best value to the Government. Best value is defined as the procurement process that results in the most advantageous acquisition decision for the Government that is performed through an integrated assessment and trade-off analysis between price and non-price factors.

The Government reserves the right to reject any or all quotes if such action is in the public interest. Under a best value procurement, the NTSB may reasonably determine that the superior solution/approach merits a higher price and, therefore, represents the best value to the Government or the NTSB may reasonably determine that the Contractor with other than the highest rating in non-price factors is the best value. The Government may waive informalities and minor irregularities in quotes. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions. Contractors are cautioned that they must submit a best offer with the initial quote.

To receive an award, a Contractor must be determined to be responsible.

M.2 EVALUATION FACTORS

The following factors and sub-factors shall be evaluated by the Government:

QUOTE PART # FACTORS and

SUBFACTORS TITLE

I Executive Summary (not separately evaluated)

I 1 Technical Quote I Sub-factor 1 Technical Approach I Sub-factor 2 Management and Transition Plan II 2 Past Performance Quote III 3 Price Quote

Technical factors in Part I are evaluated adjectively. The sub-factors within the Technical Quote factor are rated equally. The Government shall evaluate Technical Quote sub-factors based on the Contractor’s overall understanding of the requirements. A Contractor’s Technical Quote shall describe the degree to which the Contractor’s technical capability satisfies all the requirements in the SOW and demonstrates that the Contractor has a clear understanding and knowledge of the SOW requirements and how to achieve them in a logical, feasible, and technically effective manner. Contractors are cautioned that despite the relative weight of the non-price factors and sub-factors, quotes that receive an unacceptable in any sub-factor in Part I shall be deemed ineligible for award.

Past Performance shall be evaluated and shall be rated Acceptable or Unacceptable. The Government shall assess the relevance, breadth and quality of the Contractor’s recent past performance on similar types of work and evaluate the quality of the Contractor’s past performance based on the past performance references provided in the Contractor’s submission and/or other information obtained from references provided by the Contractor, as well as other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government. A

Contractor without a record of past performance or for whom information on relevant past performance is not available will be evaluated as neutral. Contractors are cautioned that despite the relative weight of the non-price factors or sub-factors, quotes that receive an unacceptable in Part II may be deemed ineligible for award.

The sub-factors within the Technical Quote are rated equally. The Past Performance Quote is of lesser importance than the sub-factors in the Technical Quote. All evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price. However, as quotes become more equal in non-price factors, price becomes more important.

Part III, Price is not rated adjectively. Price will be evaluated but not scored. Except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government’s best interests, the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. This includes options under FAR clause 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, which applies to the solicitation. Evaluation of options under FAR 52.217-8 will be accomplished by using the prices offered for the last option period to determine the price for a 6-month option period, which will be added to the base and other option years to arrive at the total price. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the options(s). In addition, Contractors must submit pricing for all services to meet the requirements as stated in the contractual SOW.

The FFP rates proposed by the Contractor shall be evaluated to determine whether the proposed rates are representative of the work to be performed; reflect a clear understanding of the requirements and are consistent with the approach described in the Contractor’s technical quote. As part of its price evaluation, the Government specifically reserves the right to evaluate the risk associated with any pricing schemes.

Price quotes shall be evaluated to determine the reasonableness of a Contractor’s quote.

Evaluation may include analysis to determine a Contractor’s comprehension of the solicitation requirements, as well as, the validity of a Contractor’s approach. A price that is found to be unreasonably high or low in relation to the proposed work may result in the quote receiving a lower rating or a Contractor’s quote may be rejected if the pricing poses an unacceptable risk to the Government.